Professional sports is not an institution that values individuality. Fines are meted out for wearing the incorrect shoe color, outspoken players are branded as divas or “me-first guys,” and the team concept trumps all. Nowhere is this line of thinking adhered to more slavishly than the NFL. Chris Kluwe, former punter for the Minnesota Vikings, will likely never play another down in the NFL and it has nothing to do with the distance and accuracy of his punts, and everything to do with the reach of his voice and the power of his words.

Kluwe wrote a piece that was posted this afternoon at the sports blog Deadspin entitled “I Was An NFL Player Until I Was Fired By Two Cowards And A Bigot.” The article details, with what he says are direct quotes from coaches, owners, and unnamed teammates, why he believes that his outspoken support of marriage equality is the reason why he was released by the Minnesota Vikings, and why he thinks he won’t get another shot from any of the other 31 teams in the league.

The article alleges that recently fired head coach Leslie Frazier repeatedly asked him to curb or cease altogether his support of marriage equality in the media. Kluwe also calls out Vikings general manager Rick Spielman for attempting to silence him. Most damning are the allegations aimed at special teams coach Mike Priefer, who Kluwe accuses of using bigoted language in team meetings after the punter began supporting marriage equality, and pegs him as the leading force in pushing him off of the team. Kluwe saw the writing on the wall early, and claims to have written the post in April of 2013, a month before his release from the team, but waited until this season ended to post it as to not be a distraction to his former Vikings teammates.

Standing up publicly for what you believe has always been a dangerous undertaking. Results ranging from assassinations, shunning and excommunication, and, as Kluwe believes is the case with him, loss of employment, are the unfortunate consequences that go along with controversy. Still, if this player’s allegations are true, it says something truly disturbing about the culture of the NFL in 2014.

Freedom of speech is an issue that’s returned to the forefront again recently on the heels of A&E reversing course and allowing the star of its hit reality series Duck Dynasty Phil Robertson to continue filming the show. Robertson was interviewed for a feature in this month’s GQ magazine, and gave several quotes that included anti-gay comments. A&E initially suspended Robertson from the show indefinitely, but following a groundswell of public support, rescinded the suspension after only nine days.

Robertson’s supporters argue that he was speaking for himself as a private citizen about his views on a topic of some national import, and that he should not be punished. Right or wrong, the same argument can be made on Kluwe’s behalf. In fact, while Robertson received significant backlash from his statements, Kluwe was mostly praised for his work on the marriage equality issue, displaying eloquence and level of awareness not often attributed to professional athletes.

It would be a shame if it is true that three close-minded individuals couldn’t respectfully disagree with Kluwe without letting it cloud their evaluation of him as a football player. It would be even more shameful if those same three people were motivated by fear or didn’t have the conviction to stand by their colleague and teammate in the face of relatively minor pushback on an issue on which even some of the most vitriolic and hateful politicians and pundits have evolved.

If character and conviction are so important to NFL coaches, why doesn’t anyone seem to want Chris Kluwe?

Update: The Vikings have released a statement on the story. Read it below in its entirety:

The Minnesota Vikings were made aware of Chris Kluwe’s allegations for the first time today. We take them very seriously and will thoroughly review this matter.

As an organization, the Vikings consistently strive to create a supportive, respectful and accepting environment for all of our players, coaches and front office personnel. We do not tolerate discrimination at any level.

The team has long respected our players’ and associates’ individual rights, and, as Chris specifically stated, Vikings ownership supports and promotes tolerance, including on the subject of marriage equality. Because he was identified with the Vikings, Chris was asked to be respectful while expressing his opinions. Team ownership and management also repeatedly emphasized to Chris that the Vikings would not impinge on his right to express his views.

Any notion that Chris was released from our football team due to his stance on marriage equality is entirely inaccurate and inconsistent with team policy. Chris was released strictly based on his football performance.

Good for Kluwe for coming out with this. Anything to expose and shame these bigots is ok in my book.

Just a little thing, but as much as I hate the Oakland Raiders, they deserve some credit for actually bringing Kluwe into training camp to battle for the punting job this pre-season. He didn’t get it, but it seems it was due to performance, as the rookie they went with led the NFL in gross avg. and 12th in net average.

He is trying to hop on the trial of the Duck Dynasty publicity. This was all talked about a lot back when he was first released, even made Peter Kings MMQB. He’s hoping the media still cares about the story a bit now.

Brendon Ayanbadejo was just as vocal as Chris Kluwe was but he didn’t say thats why he was cut. He got a ring with the Ravens and happened to be a 36yr old Special Teams Ace who could occasionally sub in at linebacker.

This guy is a Punter, something teams usually only have ONE on the roster of. I can’t speak on his stats at the time of his release but my guess is teams went with a younger player they were hoping has a bigger leg. Next thing they’ll be saying Tebow got released because he was religious and not because he was borderline QB.

His performance didn’t help him, thats for sure, and as a veteran his cost at even a minimum salary would be more than a rookie, so i’m sure that played a part in it too. I also don’t doubt that him being that outspoken about a controversial issue helped the Vikings make the decision to move on, as his numbers weren’t appreciably different from his last few. Also, why was he not brought in for that Cincy job after their punter got his jaw broke, and then after they cut the originial replacement? You’d figure a league average punter would at least get a call for a replacement job like that.

Also, he said he came out with it now because he didn’t want to be a distraction during the season for the friends still on Minny, and to make sure the now un-employed bigot special teams coach doesn’t get another job. I seriously doubt he’s doing it mainly for his own publicity. I mean, this DID just nuke his NFL career for good.

I tend to believe Kluwe’s account of how everything went down, which is a travesty and really the bigger issue.

I’m not believing it for a second. A few ill advised/timed gay jokes/comments sure. People use the word “gay” much in the same way they use “retarded” they all offend a certain demographic but isn’t generally meant to be directly offensive.
Distraction-smaction at the END of the season, not DURING the season, thats BS. I’ll wait for some of those so called friends he was worried about to back his story up now that the coach is gone.My guess, it doesn’t happen.
As for the Cincy job, my guess that had something to do with networking as a lot of things in the NFL (and life) do. Someone knew a potentially replacement personally and they got the first look.

not sure why i’m responding, since it’s clear you didn’t even read kluwe’s article (every point you bring up is refuted within the article), but what is there not to believe? there are tons of witnesses to almost all of the interactions kluwe speaks about that could easily dispute the story if he was lying.

Oh nah, definitely didn’t read it. Classic TL:DR moment. Read what was here, read the comments there, and I’m pretty familiar with Brendon Ayanbadejo from his time with the Ravens. But like I said, he didn’t claim to be released or his failure to be resigned on anything like this. Seems he’d be the 1st person to back up claims.

I’m just saying I haven’t seen anyone support his claims. Its been since May for someone to say something, anyone. I’m sure their are other players that were released at the time that could have backed him up. He got released for being old, expensive, not as productive.

This whole thing would have been a lawsuit waiting to happen if he had any kind of evidence. Specially if the coach was saying things in meetings. This screams (to me) publicity from a player salty about getting cut, who is looking for conspiracy as to why he didn’t get another shot outside of the Raiders. I hope he invested well.

How would he get evidence? Wear a wire during practice? He may be cool with nuking his career, but i doubt anyone else on that team would be, which is why no one would ever volunteer as a witness for a lawsuit.

Looking back at his stats, it does look like he listened in that regard. The average return yards on his punts went from 12.4 to 8.3 from his previous season to his last season in the NFL. Dropping about 200yds returned total between seasons. Thats definitely a point in his favor for being a team player.

I feel special that you created a profile so you could participate in discussion. Specially since it seemed my comments drove the decision. I would just like to reiterate that I am not a bigot, he’s had since May to get some good evidence together or at least get someone to back his story. It seems that hasn’t happened.

While I can’t find the original link anymore, Peter King was on his side at one point. I feel like that would have been the time for this to come out and rally.

didn’t create the account for you. you’re not THAT special. i just use burner accounts cuz i don’t want uproxx raping my email address.

i just don’t understand how you can have an opinion on something that you don’t know. i haven’t read the hobbit, thus i have no opinion on the hobbit. i don’t go around saying “ayo the hobbit sucks balls”.

But you may use reviews to judge whether or not you go see the movie in the first place, correct? Maybe watch the trailer. Put it all together and decide that the movie is probably bad and maybe you won’t be going to see it?

Anyway how what I said translates to “the hobbit sucks balls” I’m not sure. I said I don’t believe thats why he was released, even posted some supporting evidence, because thats what adults do when they have a dissenting opinion.

Those who know… know… I am a huge football fan (NFL Network consumes most of my viewing – even in the off season).

That said, Chris went overboard. He became a distraction. Most teams, no matter the topic, do not want any player voicing an opinion or bringing up any topic, repeatedly – especially a punter – that was the definition of Kluwe.

I do not believe it had anything to do with his opinion and voicing them. Even I began to get tired of him being asked “how is the weather?” and it becoming a platform for activism. Just as I got tired of RGIII talking about being held out of preseason and him wanting to play (every single time he stood behind a microphone), and Dez Bryant (and everyone else in the Dallas organization) describing his rants as him being “emotional,” it became the same with Chris.

I watch football news or read about it each day. There is a point where you stop.

Most damning are the allegations aimed at special teams coach Mike Priefer, who Kluwe accuses of using bigoted language in team meetings…
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Go visit almost any teens social media account and you will see the “other F-word” and “gay” being used in every other comment, tweet, or post. I guess it is cool to use the words that hurt in a degrading manner… so as long as you claim to support those same people – i.e. “I think everyone should be allowed to love and marry anyone they choose.” Yet you are calling other folks f@##ot all day long.

So forget what the media tells you – I do not recall my friends (and certainly not myself) using such words, so often, back in the day. The U.S. wants to project an image of the younger generation being an inspiration for acceptance – but you do not use homophobic slurs under any circumstances, if that were/is true (especially overuse them so freely, as the youth do).

It sickens me to see the generation I hoped would leave everything ugly, that past generations held onto, would use such language. Yet they are the first ones to publicly be at the town hall when same sex marriages are made legal (yet always overturned)… marching… clapping… crying… and speaking out for equal rights.

All for show.

Where is the logic in that? You do not call a Black person the N-word all day and then march beside them when racism occurs… or do you?

Unseen actions (and not simply ones that come out when the cameras are rolling or you want to look good on Twitter by supporting a “cause”) speak volumes.

“I guess it is cool to use the words that hurt in a degrading manner” I’d say its cool to use degrading words in a non-degrading manner. The same reason why people add swear words to shit that would be perfectly fine without it (case and point).

The word Faggot is a tough one, I know its wrong to use, I now only say it infront of my really close friends (not sure that is any better) when winding them up. It’s easy to say its just a mannerism that isn’t used as an insult towards gay people, but the fact that I wouldn’t intentionally say it infront of one is telling. I’m on the fence with it.

Also concerning your point in the other post. I get that when someone goes on and on about a certain topic (gay rights) it can lose its importance due to an incongruous register being established. Becoming almost desensitised to it. Nevertheless you can try and compare the lack of rights for the LGBT, to any other minority fighting for civil rights back in the day. The reason everyone is being vocal “ad nauseum” is because they really are being oppressed, maybe not as severely as the lack of rights black people had (or have, depending on how you view change), but it is still not fair. I think thats something “new slaves” touches on. LMAO but two controversial topics in one post may be too much for the internet to handle.

Due to people looking at it like that, the law which bans “homosexual propaganda” in Russia was passed. Cruelly defined it is so.

Whilst hatred is still out there, maybe even stronger than ever. The tide of tolerant people is growing larger than ever. (There is genuinely no way I could have wrote that without sounding so cliche)

I think the point that Kluwe was trying to make was that he had never heard his coach use that language before he began speaking out in support of marriage equality. If true, that could be interpreted as a form of intimidation.

I think he knew his job was in jeopardy from the jump… he chose to stand up. If he’s doing it for publicity shame on him but if that’s what he wants to fight for then props. I personally would have kept my mouth shut to get the league minimum (kick footballs and get paid like a doctor – just tell me when to go!) I won’t fight against the LGBT or fight for the LGBT. He took his stance to the public and he might be paying a price for it. To question his ability to play his position is nonsense. If you can make the 53 on an NFL team for 1 season you get props – you can play in some capacity.

Whatever it is that you choose to stand up for and speak out about is on you. Some people might have your back, some people might turn on you, some people won’t want anything to do with the issue… with this punter dude I think we saw all three aspects play out.